


I’ve fallen in love (It’s better this time than ever before)

by NUL



Series: We're partners, remember? [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Implied Seamonkeys, Prosthesis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-29 16:28:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6383962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NUL/pseuds/NUL
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her gaze drops and she sees amber. Her companion’s eyes seems brighter with the flickering lamp outside, or perhaps it is the interest apparent in the other girl’s eyes (and she hopes that the latter is also the case).</p><p>--</p><p>Yang and Blake become partners for a class project, and things fall into place somehow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I’ve fallen in love (It’s better this time than ever before)

Yang wordlessly follows the girl to one of the danker alleys in Vale. She feels as if the distance between the two of them was too big—too far for the flirtatious glances sent by the brunette back at the classroom. Weiss would probably roll her eyes and say, _how typical_. Of course, one does not always find immediate love in stumbling into other people and awkward friendships. However, she chooses to turn a blind eye between, well, _whatever_ ’ _s going on_ with her and Ruby.

The breeze gets to her and she places her hands to the pockets of her jacket, fumbling at the loose thread within the patch of cloth. She doesn’t usually do this, and she can tell that the other girl can tell the nervous air around her. The brunette—“ _Blake”_ , she had introduced herself then, when the professor had made the two seatmates pair up for a project—chooses that time to turn around, as if to see if she was still being followed. She gives a slight nod and waits for her to catch up, holding on to Yang’s left hand when she does. “We’re close,” she says.

“Nice,” she says. Inwardly, she cringes at the wording. People always seem to assume that she’s suave and cool. Technically, they aren’t wrong, but charm only goes so far when faced by someone so, _so_ —

“Here we are,” Blake mutters.

Yang blinks, train of thought broken. It’s a quaint apartment, at least 4 stories tall, that might have once looked more beautiful, perhaps grander, but now have mold across the bricks and broken chunks of concrete in its facade. As some laundry are aired haphazardly outside and billow, she can only hope that the wind does not take them and fall from the clips.

Her gaze drops and she sees _amber_. Her companion’s eyes seems brighter with the flickering lamp outside, or perhaps it is the interest apparent in the other girl’s eyes (and she hopes that the latter is also the case).

They climb the flights of stairs soon enough and enter the room. She half expects the room to be as dark as the halls they’ve walked through, but it’s _bright_ and she has to squint as a reflex to the light.

“Hey Blakey, who’s the girl?”

 “ _Sun_ ”, Blake huffs, probably still recovering from her own initial shock, “I thought you were out with Neptune.”

As soon as her eyes adjust, she is greeted with a blond guy just as bright as the room, with tan skin peeking out a flimsy, white tank top over broad shoulders. _Sun_. How apropos.

“And _I_ thought he’d be here an hour ago. Traffic is shit. Life is shit,” Sun replies peeling a banana, and Yang can’t help but let out a snort.

“I have a motorcycle, so weaving through heavy traffic usually isn’t a problem,” Yang pauses. “But I haven’t exactly used Bumblebee in a while, so that sucks.” Through her peripheral vision, she can see Blake’s eyebrows raise.

Sun lets out a whistle and a quick ‘ _nice’_ , but his eyes move to her and she can feel it moving to her prosthesis at her right arm. _Of course._ She’s gotten over the initial anxiety whenever it happens, but she still feels the familiar and faint pang across her chest.

“So,” she clears her throat, “this isn’t a three way invitation, is it?”

At that, Blake lets out a laugh and Sun chokes on the banana. It’s the first time she’s heard her laugh, and it may be the best thing she’s heard in a while.

“No, Yang,” as she holds onto her arm, “and you seem too vanilla for it, anyway.”

She lets out a laugh of her own. “How would you know?” Yang asks.

“Oh, I’d know,” Blake grins.

The banter is cut short with a beep of a phone and an awkward cough on Sun’s part. “As much as I would _love_ to hear you two ladies flirt and all,” he says while checking his phone, “I’ve got to skedaddle. Nep’s waiting outside. You know he gets the jitters when he stays out there too long alone.” Yang feels her ears heat up, and she can’t believe that Blake is seemingly unaffected. Either that, or she has the poker face thing down.

“City boy,” Blake mumbles.

“ _My_ city boy,” Sun says quite loudly. “See you later Blake. Nice meeting you, Yang.”

The door closes behind Sun, and suddenly the room seems too quiet.

“Hey—”

“So—”

They stare at each other for a while, and Yang shifts in her place. “You first.”

Blake smiles, and Yang probably shouldn’t be so affected by that gesture alone (but she is). “Do you want some water? We also have juice if you’d like some.”

“Water’s great.” As she moves to sit on the brown couch and Blake moves to get drinks, she takes the time to examine the apartment. There’s a narrow hallway leading to two bedrooms, a kitchenette, and a living room with a small table with some Political Science, and Philosophy books, and several newspapers strewn across the floor, as well as a dozen or so bananas at the kitchen counter.

"So you and Sun live together?"

Blake places a palm against her neck, looking at the disorder in their apartment. Her nose scrunches and she sighs. "Yeah. He can be a bit of a handful but he's a great guy." She moves to stack some boxes at the living room and moves it the the corner of a wall.

"Umm so," Yang fidgets, "are you two together?"

Suddenly, Blake turns to her, her eyes seemingly crinkling slightly at the corners and a grin threatening to appear on her face. “We aren't." She settles with a smile and finishes up clearing the table for them to work on. Inwardly, Yang lets out a relieved sigh. She wasn't exactly sure if Blake wanted, well, what she wanted. She still wasn't wholly sure, but if the brunette's attitude towards her was anything to go with, she was fairly optimistic. "Anyway, sorry if the place is a bit of a mess,” Blake almost looks bashful when she says it while she sits down beside her on the couch.

She shakes her head. “Not at all. You should see our place after a baking spree. Ruby likes her cookies.”

“Ruby?” Blake asks, setting down her cup of tea after taking a sip. Yang nods.

“She’s my younger sister. She’s really smart—same year as us taking engineering and wants to make innovations that’ll be useful for everyone,” and Yang really grins. She’s always fond of talking about Ruby and for some reason, she feels fine sharing this information to people.

“That sounds really great Yang.” But suddenly Blake has this remorseful look in her eyes, and she sets down the drinks on the table. “The world can be a tough place, but I do wish your sister’s hopes and dreams doesn’t go away.”

Yang nods. “Believe me, it won’t.” Her gaze follows the other girl, and Blake looks up with a slight tug on the corner of her lips.

“Okay then. Want to get started with this thing?”

Yang stretches and lets out a few pops at her back. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

*****

“I’m tired _Blake._ Or is it Blakey. Can I call you Blakey? Is that a thing?” Yang lays her head down on her side of the armrest, still holding a book sideways. She can read the text, but the words aren’t exactly processing in her mind right now. “Plus, I think we’ve done more than the other pairs anyway.”

Blake always seemed like the studious type from the start. She took notes dutifully day in and day out during class with clear handwriting and little notes with drawings on the side that Yang always managed to take a peek of when she had a chance. They’ve been seatmates for nearly half a semester. Naturally she’d notice (what a fool she would have been, if she hadn’t).

The brunette sighs, and for a moment Yang thinks she would disagree. However, as Blake herself lays on her side of the couch, the matter seemed settled. “You’re right.”

“You mean the Blakey thing?” She jokes, knowing that Blake seems to be on board the idea of stopping. She closes the book in her hands and sets it down on the table.

“What I mean is that we should take a break.” A pause. “Or do you want to go home already?”

Yang thinks about it. She could go home, or she could stay with Blake a little longer. “That depends.” Yang sits up, lifting herself using her prosthetic arm to face and look at the other girl.

Blake is still half lying down, hair splayed across the couch and staring at her with pretty, amber eyes. “On what?” It’s like a half-hearted challenge—as if both of them already know what’s about to happen.

“Do you want me to stay?” Yang’s voice is soft, and she hopes that Blake doesn’t hear the slight tremble in her words. She’s nervous. _Of course_. Blake makes her nervous, but the good kind in which she hasn’t felt in a long time. She keeps her hands to her sides, waiting for Blake to give her a signal.

Blake hums and shifts her legs so that both are on the couch and trapping Yang in between. “Maybe I do.” Blake's hands trail along her arms, causing Yang to visibly tense. _Oh._ This is happening faster than she thought it would, and Blake immediately senses the unease and pulls away. “I’m sorry, are you alright—?”

The noise of keys jangling and the door squeaking open permeates throughout the room and it is a complete _mess_ trying to untangle limbs with each other.

“Hello? I’m not disturbing anything, am I? Please tell me you’ve had at least the decency to move it to your room, Blake.” A couple more knocks against the door that seemed more like warnings signal Sun’s reappearance.

Blake groans against Yang’s shoulder. “Be a little louder so the neighbors complain, why don’t you?” They’ve moved back to a cordial sitting position, but Yang appreciates the way Blake thumbs against her palm as they hold hands. It’s soothing, almost.

“Oh, thank goodness since that would’ve been awkward. But that would have surprised me. She _never_ brings people here.” A beat. “Do you even get _laid_?”

She flushes hard while Blake flings a cushion straight at Sun.

*****

“Hey,” Yang says, “maybe we can do this again some time.”

They’re going down the stairs, leaving Sun back at the apartment to ice his backside from the fall. Blake’s eyebrows furrow but then she looks as if she’s realizing something and laughs. “Of course we will. We’re partners, remember?”

She fumbles. “Well, yeah, but also the other thing.”

Blake stops stepping for a moment, leaving her at almost level with Yang in the staircase. Her movements are slow and cautious, hands resting on Yang’s shoulders. “You mean _this_ ‘other thing’?” She's cautious, Yang notes, not moving an inch further. Her eyes are questioning, searching her own, lavender eyes for any hesitation. Yang nods, and they close the gap between them.

The kiss is soft, chaste, and lacks the urgency she felt that time in the apartment. Yang was unsure at the time, and felt like things were going too fast. This is pleasant, with Blake’s lips moving against her own, and the warm press of a body on hers. When they break apart, breathing in for air, Blake rests her head on the crook of her shoulder before leaving its place to leave a peck on Yang’s cheek.

“We’re good, right?” Blake asks, and Yang takes a moment to comprehend the words because her thoughts are still swimming with thoughts of Blake.

“Ah, yeah. Back then—I just—,” she stammers, not knowing how to fully express what she’s feeling in words, “I guess it got a little too intense, and too quick for me. I know nothing happened then, but still. But you’re great! You really are.”

She realizes that she’s been rambling, and she shuts her mouth soon enough. Yang Xiao Long is not usually an awkward mess of a person, and she repeats that mantra in her head until she hears Blake let out a light laugh. It’s short, but Yang revels in the smile Blake wears.

Happiness looks good on her.

“I think you’re really great too, Yang,” she says, squeezing her hands slightly. Her tone is a bit teasing, but the words are earnest and genuine coming from her. Yang knows it somehow, and it gives a feeling of comfort and warmth deep within her chest. Yang feels her face heat up all over again. Whether it’s from the slight embarrassment, the compliment, or that kiss that continues to send a pleasant thrum through her, she feels better than she has in a few days. “Have a good night, Yang. I'll see you tomorrow.” She smiles, before going up the stairs and leaving Yang alone at the door.

It is as if there was a strange hold on her then, to which she couldn't move from the stairwell, except watch until the brunette was fully out of sight. She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and leans her head slightly at the wall, a slight tug at the corner of her lips.

"You too."

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Title came from "I would do anything for you" by Foster the People. I can't wait for Volume 4.
> 
> Please leave a kudos and/or a comment if you enjoyed it/want to give constructive criticisms/give prompts for this series :) Thank you!


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